Topic: Cord's Believe It or Not.

[Snowman]

How Not to Negotiate 101.

I witnessed all three of the following gems almost simultaneously today from used car buyers. My first thought was "do these people have any idea what they sound like?" and then I realized that I have heard the exact same phrases uttered by countless shoppers over the years. I'm sure a forum regular would never try one of these. But the great unwashed ... 

1. After a customer's offer of $36,000 on a truck priced at $45,000 is rejected, "I can buy the exact same truck from ABC Motors for $33,000 so tell your boss I won't pay any more than $37,000!"

Preferred smartass response: "So you're willing to pay us an extra $4,000 rather than drive 20 minutes and get the other one?"

1a. A similar one is, "Your price of $25,000 is high, ABC Motors has the exact same thing for $21,000." (Women are as likely as men to try this one).

Preferred smartass response: "And yet you're sitting here instead of there."

All these customers have done is indirectly indicate that for whatever reason, they much prefer my car than the mentioned competitor's. It takes me 2 seconds to look up ABC Motors web site to see theirs is a 5 spd, steel wheels, and double the kms. If I offer a similar car, I know it will be rejected. If a deal ends up happening with these people it is with less discount because they've told me they want my car and they'll pay to get it.


2. "Look, I'm in a hurry. I want your best price and what my trade is worth and you've got 10 minutes."

Preferred smartass response: "Well, my best price would be a couple thousand over retail. That might not be the best for you though."

While this tactic will often get a rookie salesperson running frantically to meet the deadline, an experienced manager will simply shut the whole process down until the customer has time for it to happen. If the customer refuses to make an appointment for a different time, nobody at the dealership cares. These stopwatch customers never result in sales anyway.

2a. A similar tactic is the old, "Here's my offer, you've got one shot (followed by a ridiculous offer)."

Preferred smartass response: "No, we can't accept that offer."
<So what's your best price?>
"What does that matter? We can't meet your offer and you said we only had one shot."

These guys (it is only men that do this) want to act like they know what they're doing. It is some of the worst macho BS we deal with. Completely opposite to what they've said, they desperately want to start negotiations but think they'll appear weak if they do. They expect their bravado will result in a response of, "the lowest we can go is..." However, by giving the take-it-or-leave-it offer they have effectively made any other numbers moot. Deals can be made with these guys. But it takes a skilled salesperson to move forward without letting the guy lose face. If it is done right, the salesperson will soon be the guy's best buddy and these guys just love to buy from their buddy. If the guy backs himself into a corner he can't get out of he'll leave and go to the next dealer with a higher offer. If his offer gets high enough and he actually buys something, he'll tell all his friends that he got it for the amount he first offered.


3. "The other Ford dealer was giving me $23,000 for my trade and I know any corner lot will give me $15,000." This was after we told him his trade was worth $5000 to us. This guy's trade was a 10 year old truck with over 250,000km and is something that we wouldn't even try to resell. While the manager took it for a drive to appraise it, he stopped by two corner lots to see what they would pay us for it. $5000 was the number from both.

Preferred smartass response: Are you nuts?

People like these don't do an ounce of research before shooting off their mouth at the dealership. Just the most basic amount of education would keep these dudes from embarrassing themselves and wasting everybody's time.

And that concludes today's lesson.     

Buying 101

From my experience the practice of underhanded sales tactics is similar on our end of the negotiating fence.   

[Cord]

From my experience the practice of underhanded sales tactics is similar on our end of the negotiating fence.   

Sounds like a great idea for a new thread.   

[johngenx]

I don't trade anymore, preferring to sell my old car privately.  Mostly thanks to the fact that anything leaving my household has well over 250K and ain't worth spit to any dealer.

Back when I was trading a reasonable car (3-4 years old), I would hit smaller lots ("Cash paid for your car") and get wholesale quotes.  Now I knew what it was really worth to a dealer.  I would compare that to retail asking prices and decide to trade or not.  It also gave me a baseline to judge trading quotes.

[Cord]

Back when I was trading a reasonable car (3-4 years old), I would hit smaller lots ("Cash paid for your car") and get wholesale quotes.  Now I knew what it was really worth to a dealer.

That's smart. Unfortunately, I think you're the only person that does that. 

[Snowman]

From my experience the practice of underhanded sales tactics is similar on our end of the negotiating fence.   

Sounds like a great idea for a new thread.   

I could write a book about the dealers in Sudbury alone   the last four cars we bought while we lived there were from dealers out of town.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I've never watched Citizen Kane, so I can't comment whether the clap is sarcastic. 

Oh it is, believe me. He's fuming inside. Awesome awesome movie. Only watched it for the first time last year, and easily see why most view it as the best movie ever made.

  No sarcasm intended! I was deliberately taking Kane out of context. I just like the image.

But for catching it, you get one of these:

[Julie]

How Not to Negotiate 101. or, If You Want to Buy a Car and Pay Less, Don't Do This.

I witnessed all three of the following gems almost simultaneously today from used car buyers. My first thought was "do these people have any idea what they sound like?" and then I realized that I have heard the exact same phrases uttered by countless shoppers over the years. I'm sure a forum regular would never try one of these. But the great unwashed ... 

1. After a customer's offer of $36,000 on a truck priced at $45,000 is rejected, "I can buy the exact same truck from ABC Motors for $33,000 so tell your boss I won't pay any more than $37,000!"

Preferred smartass response: "So you're willing to pay us an extra $4,000 rather than drive 20 minutes and get the other one?"

1a. A similar one is, "Your price of $25,000 is high, ABC Motors has the exact same thing for $21,000." (Women are as likely as men to try this one).

Preferred smartass response: "And yet you're sitting here instead of there."

All these customers have done is indirectly indicate that for whatever reason, they much prefer my car than the mentioned competitor's. It takes me 2 seconds to look up ABC Motors web site to see theirs is a 5 spd, steel wheels, and double the kms. If I offer a similar car, I know it will be rejected. If a deal ends up happening with these people it is with less discount because they've told me they want my car and they'll pay to get it.


2. "Look, I'm in a hurry. I want your best price and what my trade is worth and you've got 10 minutes."

Preferred smartass response: "Well, my best price would be a couple thousand over retail. That might not be the best for you though."

While this tactic will often get a rookie salesperson running frantically to meet the deadline, an experienced manager will simply shut the whole process down until the customer has time for it to happen. If the customer refuses to make an appointment for a different time, nobody at the dealership cares. These stopwatch customers never result in sales anyway.

2a. A similar tactic is the old, "Here's my offer, you've got one shot (followed by a ridiculous offer)."

Preferred smartass response: "No, we can't accept that offer."
<So what's your best price?>
"What does that matter? We can't meet your offer and you said we only had one shot."

These guys (it is only men that do this) want to act like they know what they're doing. It is some of the worst macho BS we deal with. Completely opposite to what they've said, they desperately want to start negotiations but think they'll appear weak if they do. They expect their bravado will result in a response of, "the lowest we can go is..." However, by giving the take-it-or-leave-it offer they have effectively made any other numbers moot. Deals can be made with these guys. But it takes a skilled salesperson to move forward without letting the guy lose face. If it is done right, the salesperson will soon be the guy's best buddy and these guys just love to buy from their buddy. If the guy backs himself into a corner he can't get out of he'll leave and go to the next dealer with a higher offer. If his offer gets high enough and he actually buys something, he'll tell all his friends that he got it for the amount he first offered.


3. "The other Ford dealer was giving me $23,000 for my trade and I know any corner lot will give me $15,000." This was after we told him his trade was worth $5000 to us. This guy's trade was a 10 year old truck with over 250,000km and is something that we wouldn't even try to resell. While the manager took it for a drive to appraise it, he stopped by two corner lots to see what they would pay us for it. $5000 was the number from both.

Preferred smartass response: Are you nuts?

People like these don't do an ounce of research before shooting off their mouth at the dealership. Just the most basic amount of education would keep these dudes from embarrassing themselves and wasting everybody's time.

And that concludes today's lesson.     

WOW. 
Dumb and Dumber?

[safristi]

CAR BUYING 101..............buy a 2 year old cream Puff from a lil olde lady who doesn't even go to church......

[mrthompson]

No sarcasm intended! I was deliberately taking Kane out of context. I just like the image.

But for catching it, you get one of these:

Congratulations, you now have The Clap. 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

No sarcasm intended! I was deliberately taking Kane out of context. I just like the image.

But for catching it, you get one of these:

Congratulations, you now have The Clap. 

 

[safristi]

  indiscriminate dealership  umm err "visitations"..he can't resist those "DON't PAY TILL SPRING" dr's visits...... .....

[Cord]

How Not to Start Your Marriage 101.

A young guy in his twenties was browsing through the used car lot. When asked by a salesman what he was looking for, the guy replied along the lines of, "It doesn't matter." That's a bit of a strange response. Usually when people want a car but don't care what kind, it means they have never paid a bill in their life and they are just hoping that the 18th dealership they visit will somehow finance them. This guy wasn't quite like that though. He clarified that he knew what he wanted but it wasn't any particular type of car (?). So he wandered around for a while until he'd picked out a truck that he was interested in.

However, he had no interest in driving it or even really looking at it. He just wanted to see "the numbers." OK, bub, here's the numbers, they're on every car.

"No, no, I need to know what the payments would be including $4000 cash back to me."

Alrighty then, let's complete this credit application shall we?

His credit application confirms his deadbeat status, but it isn't terminal. So we submit the deal for approval.

"So I'll get $4000 cash when this is approved, right."

"Well, you'll get a cheque if it's approved, yes. We should have an answer within the hour."

He patiently waits and in about 30 minutes we have the answer - declined. Unless he can put $5000 down.

Here's where it gets good. As he is told the bad news he questions the ability of the finance people, wondering how he could be turned down on the truck he had picked out. When asked to explain, he said that he had some "financial calculations" that showed him that truck should work perfectly. Before he could be asked what he was talking about, he had a sudden brain wave:

"Couldn't my fiance co-sign? I know all her information. She wouldn't even need to come down would she?"

"Err, we would need to speak to her and she would need to come in and sign the contracts."

When he finally sees all hope is lost, he doesn't quite start to cry but he does spill his guts. Apparently, he wanted the $4000 so he could buy an engagement ring. He didn't even need the truck and explained that he just planned to sell it after he bought it.

In all the excitement, we never did get to hear about his "financial calculations."

[mmret]

Ah, but he's doing it for love.

I never knew one guy, his girlfriend, and a truck could constitute a ponzi scheme all on their own.

Cord I have no idea how you get through some days.

[The Mighty Duck]

That's one of the odder stories I've heard yet... As a hopeless romantic, there's part of me that sympathises.


OTOH, get your together financially and you wouldn't have to create elaborate schemes to get money.

[safristi]

DeBEERS the diamond peoples new slogan  "Ya have to buy yer sweetie a 4 Months lease on a BIG ARSE TRUCK..PLUS our diamond RING" or ye'll never get laid again...........jeez looks like "sweetie" dodged a bullet..............

[quadzilla]

Apparently, he wanted the $4000 so he could buy an engagement ring.

Well there is his first mistake, wasting large amounts of money on a ring. 

[tpl]

A cynic could go further and say that a woman who thinks she wants a $4000 engagement ring might not be the perfect one for a poor guy. 

[airbalancer]

in 33 years I have never spend that much on a ring (or tv  )

I think the ring I got my wife was $250 

[safristi]

in 33 years I have never spend that much on a ring (or tv  )

I think the ring I got my wife was $250 

  I'm calling BULL-SHIP ...........bet she paid $20 fer YOUR RING

[airbalancer]

in 33 years I have never spend that much on a ring (or tv  )

I think the ring I got my wife was $250 

  I'm calling BULL-SHIP ...........bet she paid $20 fer YOUR RING

please , I never wrote about my ring, and $20 would be to much